Originally posted by X1:Hello.I am struggling to process a batch of high titrating oil using ae method. Hoping for any suggestions.The oil titrated at 16 KOH. 100 litres

Any ideas?

I don't know if you are set up for this or not. I use a lot more methanol and acid. When I first started working with FFA oil I use 10 gallons oil to one gallon methanol and 2 ml Acid to each liter methanol. And at times I had the same problems you are having. Plus my oil would turn really dark and smell. The problems you are having are not uncommon. It used to take me all day to get oil that titrates at 7 down to 2. Now I am using 3 to 4 gallons methanol to one gallon oil and at least 5 ML Acid per liter methanol. Even at around 70f it took me one hour to bring oil that titrated at 20 ml lye down to titrated .5 ml lye. I just did 33 gallons yesterday morning using no heat at all. I am in southern Indiana. Check the temperature for my area. It was a cold morning. The more methanol you use the more acid you can use without darkening your oil. Even one gallon oil to one gallon methanol will do pretty good.

I don't know if some of your methanol is evaporating since you are using heat. Make sure this is not happening. Another thing this acid process creates water and water really kills the process. Since this acid process produces some water you will need to have enough methanol to adsorb this water.

You cant use too much methanol. The more methanol you use the more you can reuse it before having to dry it. Your FFA is hungry for Methanol so give it plenty. I have converted a small batch of 100% FFA into Bio-diesel in 5 minutes using around 5 parts methanol 1 part FFA some acid, heat and a high speed blender. The end titratoin was 1 and that was still with 5% methanol and some acid. I am trying to replicate that in my 100 gallon tank.

My oil titration has reached a point that is typically 18 to 20 so it is time to start using AE. I have the acid and would like to do a batch, reading your post made sense to me but I have only tried this once so am a little unsure about the process. Does the methanol stay in the oil so you can add KOH to the final amount of methanol and be good?

I make 250 gallons to a batch and usually use 55 gallons of methanol per batch so I am not sure how this works. Thank yousteve@stevesenger.com